Pulse - September 2024 - 18

UPDATES
5 Typhus Cases Reported In Orange County Cities
Five human cases of flea-borne typhus
have been confirmed in Orange County,
California, this year, including one in
Fountain Valley. Vector control officials are
urging residents to keep pets and homes
free of fleas
The newest infection near Slater Avenue
and Magnolia Street marks the fifth
human case of the bacterial disease -
carried by fleas and spread to other
species through the insect's feces - in
Orange County this year.
Cases have also been reported in Garden
Grove, Anaheim and two in Santa Ana.
Orange County Mosquito and Vector
Control District spokesman Brian Brannon
said people don't get sick from flea bites,
explaining that typhus isn't blood borne
and can't be transmitted from person to
person.
" You get sick from scratching a bite and
then the flea's fecal matter gets into your
bloodstream, " he told the Daily Pilot
newspaper.
The disease may also be spread to humans
through body wounds, inhalation, food
ingestion or by touching one's eyes with
dirty hands, according to the agency's
website. Besides fleas, the Rickettsia bacteria
that causes typhus may be carried
by opossums, rats, mice and other small
mammals, including cats and dogs.
FDA Confirms Safety
Of Purina Pet Foods
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
has announced that no public health concerns
are associated with Nestlé Purina
Pet Care pet food after it completed a
review of the products that generated a
jump in adverse event reports last year.
" After thoroughly analyzing pet food
adverse event reports, testing opened
products from pet owners and sealed
products from retail settings, and conducting
a facility inspection, the FDA has
determined the existing evidence does
not identify a public health concern that
could explain the symptoms detailed in
these adverse event reports about Purina
pet foods, " the FDA said in a prepared
statement.
Complaints that the pet food sickened
pets started circulating on social media late
18
last year, and pet owners on TikTok urged
a boycott of the brand. Subsequently, the
FDA received approximately 1,300 adverse
event reports for several Purina pet foods
between Nov. 22, 2023, and April 15.
The most common clinical sign described
in dogs and cats was gastrointestinal
upset followed by renal, hepatic, or neurologic
signs.
Insured Pets Remain
At 4% and Under in U.S.
The proportion of insured dogs and cats
remains at only 3 to 4% in Norh America,
even though more pets than ever are
covered by health insurance. Because the
coverage has been sold for 40 years, some
observers are saying it's a failure.
A decision by Nationwide Pet, the No. 1
pet insurer in the U.S., to drop 100,000
policies, and premium increases across the
sector illustrate the industry's struggle.
The sector is also being consolidated, with
private-equity investor JAB Holdings now
owning some dozen North American
pet insurance brands. JAB also is a major
owner of veterinary practices globally, the
Veterinary Information Network reported.
PetIQ Closes More
In-Partner Clinics
Pet medication distributor PetIQ has
closed 133 veterinary clinics with veterinarians
and support staff losing their jobs.
The decision was made just before the
company accepted a $1.5 billion takeover
bid from private equity firm Bansk.
PetIQ's practices, known as wellness
centers, offered vaccinations, diagnostic
services, physical exams and minor surgery
inside the stores of partners that included
Walmart, Meijer and Tractor Supply Co.
The company closed 149 of its practices
last year, citing the tight labor market for
veterinarians. Another 133 were to close
in August, leaving a single pilot practice
outside Atlanta with a new Walmartbranded
format that will remain open.
Chains' Merger Would
Boast 730 Practices
Mission Veterinary Partners, based in
Southfield, Michigan, and Southern Veterinary
Partners, based in Birmingham,
Alabama, are planning a merger that would
be one of the largest owners of U.S. veterinary
practices.
A definitive deal has yet to be struck,
according to a person close to the discussions
who spoke to the Veterinary Information
Network on condition of anonymity.
Word had already spread about the
prospective merger, sparking a petition
calling on the government to block
any such deal on the grounds it would be
anti-competitive.
Southern Veterinary Partners has more
than 400 practices, and Mission Veterinary
Partners more than 330. The private
equity firm Shore Capital Partners is a
major investor in both. P
- Marilyn Iturri
SEPTEMBER 2024
PULSE
Pulse - September 2024

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